SUMMER HOT WINDS ON THE GREAT PLAINS. 339 
The region of the atmosphere in which the hot winds 
occur has a well marked progressive movement from west 
to east—at least, this is found to be the case whenever the 
data have sufficed to afford an opportunity to look for this 
feature. The dryness attending the hot winds in Kansas 
September 11 to 14,1892, appeared one day earlier at Dodge 
City than at Leavenworth, and ceased one day earlier at 
the former place than at the latter. The eastward progres¬ 
sion is also clearly shown by the reports of hot winds in 
Texas May 29, 1892, where they can be distinctly traced 
from the western portion of the State, where they appeared 
about noon, to the eastern portion, where they were not 
noted until as late as 10 p. m. 
A striking characteristic of the hot winds is their effect 
on vegetation. While they are always noted as causing 
vegetation to wilt and droop, the more intensely hot winds 
burn tender vegetation to a crisp in a few minutes, without 
relation to the amount of moisture present in the soil or 
general atmosphere. Some of the most destructive of these 
winds have been known to occur when both the soil and 
atmosphere were saturated with moisture. The tops of corn 
and other hardier vegetation are burned, while near the 
earth they are not damaged. The leaves of trees dry to a 
crisp in some instances so that they crumble at the touch 
of the hand, and apples bake on the trees. Corn when in 
silk and wheat when in dough suffer more severely than at 
any other stage of their growth. Wheat in this stage when 
affected suffers severely. The heat and rapid evaporation 
completely dry up the germ wherever the hot winds strike. 
Fortunately severe damage from hot winds is not general 
over an affected district, but covers only small parts of the 
different farms. Sometimes entire counties remain unin¬ 
jured. Under the influence of these winds the skin be¬ 
comes dry and parched and perspiration becomes entirely 
insensible. The more intensely heated currents are said to 
be almost insufferable. When a period of hot winds con¬ 
tinues for two or three days and the general atmosphere be- 
